About CoR Collection
CoR is a central and often foundational part, usually distinct from the whole.
Christopher Rowe / Founder
As I envisioned a furniture agency designed to support the future of workplace, hospitality and home, the voice of George Nelson echoed in my mind. In 1952, Nelson described the office as “a daytime living room", expertly capturing the zeitgeist of our time 70 years later. However, we lacked a true catalyst for his vision. The last two years have inspired a unique opportunity to reimagine how we work and how teams gather and collaborate. CoR Collection is unabashedly inspired by this intersection of commercial, hospitality and residential design.
Spaces need to be compelling in new ways. The workplace needs to captivate users and entice people back together. In-person communication provides texture and detail that digital can’t re-create, and can make working with your colleagues feel less transactional and more humane. Simply put, teams need an environment they can’t reproduce at home. Restaurants and hotels need to provide beautiful, but also highly functional spaces for remote work. Finally, our homes need to support hybrid work and, perhaps most importantly, provide respite from the demands of this new way of working.
To support this approach, my Portfolio Partners have been curated to reflect some fundamental ideals:
Authored Design
All of my partners work closely with designers to develop products and acknowledge the significance of their experience to the final product. Value is not simply the sum of parts, rather it is the sum of parts plus the contribution of the wealth of knowledge gathered by a designer over their life.
Sustainable Design
It is my belief that the most sustainable furniture is simply furniture that's designed to last a lifetime (and beyond). Traditional metrics like recyclability and responsible sourcing are important, but can't account for craftsmanship and design for longevity.
Authentic Design
Closely related to Authored Design, my partners are the original or licensed manufacturers of their designs, ensuring those who are responsible for great design are credited.
My hope for CoR Collection is that those that who share passion for great design see my partners an integral part of creating a beautiful and compelling home, office, hotel or restaurant.